15 mistakes that fail the practical driving test

In short: in Uzbekistan the practical test is marked by an automated system on a closed test track, and it is equally strict with everyone. People rarely fail on the hard manoeuvres; they fail on small things like a forgotten indicator, a wheel on the stop line or rolling back on the ramp. Below are 15 mistakes in course order and how to train out each one.

How marking works

For every category the practical test takes place on an automated test track, in a car with a manual gearbox. The system assesses skills without human involvement; the pass or fail result is generated automatically and stored for a year (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 408, as in force in October 2026). Exam centres develop the scoring criteria. Reports on the opening of centres in Tashkent and Fergana cited a limit of 99 penalty points.

For categories B, C and D the track must include: start, pedestrian crossing, stopping on and climbing a ramp, 90-degree turns, a bay for turning in a confined space, a junction with traffic lights, a slalom, reverse parallel parking, an uncontrolled railway crossing, an acceleration section, an emergency stop and the finish. Each centre sets its own order, shown in its video briefing and on boards. See also the practical test at the track.

Start

1. Setting off unprepared

No seat belt, seat and mirrors not adjusted, moving off with the handbrake on. Under pressure, learners skip what they did automatically in lessons.

Fix: say "door, seat, mirrors, belt" out loud every lesson, and the same words on test day.

2. Moving off without an indicator

Point 45 of the traffic rules requires a signal before moving off, changing lanes, turning and stopping. It is the most painful mistake because it costs nothing to avoid.

Fix: "hand on the indicator before the foot on the clutch". Ask your instructor to penalise you for every missed signal.

Pedestrian crossing and junction

3. Not giving way at the crossing

The crossing is a mandatory track element, and the system checks how you approach it. Failing to give way to a pedestrian breaks the traffic rules and is expensive on the test.

Fix: approach every crossing at a speed that lets you stop before the markings, not on them.

4. Stopping on the stop line

Front wheels on the line at the lights or before the ramp is a classic.

Fix: learn where the line disappears under the bonnet in your training car. Get out on the training site with your instructor and check.

5. Going through on red or "just on amber"

The lights on the track junction work for real. Learners used to squeezing through on training routes lose the test here.

Fix: in practice, approach every light as if it is about to change.

The ramp

6. Rolling back

Almost always the handbrake goes down before the clutch reaches the biting point.

Fix: follow the steps in hill starts: revs dip first, then the handbrake.

7. Stalling, more than once

One stall costs points. Two or three in a row on the ramp almost guarantee a fail, because a roll back usually follows.

Fix: find the biting point on flat ground 10 to 15 times at the start of each lesson until it is a reflex.

90-degree turns and slalom

8. Cutting the corner with the rear wheel

Rear wheels follow a tighter line than the front ones. Turn too early and the rear wheel crosses the inner line.

Fix: start turning when your shoulder, not the bonnet, is level with the corner.

9. Stopping in the slalom

The slalom checks smoothness. Stops and jerks mean you are falling behind the line.

Fix: first gear, clutch control, constant low speed, and start turning the wheel before the car reaches the cone.

Garage bay and parallel parking

10. Touching a line or post in the bay

Fix: fixed reference points for where to stop and when to turn, for your model of car.

11. Ending up outside the parallel parking space

A wheel on the line or a body that does not fit is the usual result of parking by eye.

Fix: use the reference table in parallel parking and the garage bay, ten repetitions per lesson.

Railway crossing, acceleration and emergency stop

12. Mishandling the level crossing

The uncontrolled crossing checks that you slow down, stop where signs and the layout require, and never stop on the tracks.

Fix: learn which signs stand before the crossing on your centre's track and what the layout demands.

13. Botching the acceleration section

You need to speed up and change up on a short stretch, then slow for the next element. Typical errors: screaming in first, missing second.

Fix: practise 1–2–3 changes without looking at the lever.

14. A slow emergency stop or no hazard lights

On the signal you must stop quickly without stalling. Point 51 of the traffic rules also requires switching on the hazard lights immediately after a sudden stop.

Fix: clutch and brake down together, then hand to the hazard button. Repeat 20 times until it is one movement.

Finish

15. Relaxing in the last few metres

Stopping without an indicator, in the wrong place, or forgetting the handbrake. You have mentally passed; the system is still counting.

Fix: treat the finish as an exercise like the bay, step by step.

Summary: where points go

Element	Typical mistake	Main cause
Start	No indicator, handbrake on	Rushing
Crossing	Not giving way	Approach too fast
Junction	Stop line, signals	Habit of squeezing through
Ramp	Rolling back, stalling	Handbrake before the bite
90° turns	Rear wheel on the line	Turning early
Slalom	Stops, jerks	Turning the wheel late
Bay, parking	Lines, posts	No reference points for your car
Level crossing	Stopping in the wrong place	Layout not studied
Emergency stop	Stall, no hazards	Movement not drilled
Finish	No indicator	Relaxing

If you fail

You can retake the practical test after at least seven days. A theory pass is valid for two months, so do not leave it too long. Procedure and costs are in retaking the exam.

In the week before the retake, book two or three track sessions targeting your specific mistakes. Find a site with exam-style markings among test tracks in Tashkent, or work one to one with a private instructor.

Want to learn somewhere that trains specifically for the automated test? Leave a request on our school matching form and we will find a school with a suitable track.